Henry Rifle Forums

I suspect the answer to this is "no", but is there any substantive difference in quality?


Ordinarily, I would go with the Ruger, but I won a Bass Pro gift card a while back which I can now convert into a Cabela's gift card now. I am partial to a .357 revolver with a 3 inch barrel, and Cabela's doesn't seem to have a Ruger in that barrel length.

about all I can say is, I own and fire both .... after all is said and done, if/when I purchase another it will be a Ruger

My first revolver was a Ruger SP101 .357 Magnum snubby with a 3" barrel, model number 5719. Wish it was still in my gun cabinet.
Quality revolver.

You said Cabelas doesn't have a Ruger in that barrel length. I just checked, and my Kansas City, KS Cabelas lists the very same revolver I had. Here is what is shown on their web site:

Ruger SP101 Model 5719 – .357 Magnum, 3" barrel, stainless steel, fixed sights, black rubber grips. Double action/single action.

Why don't you have your Cabelas either get a .357 magnum snubby for you from another Cabelas store, or ask them to order one for you? I think they would be able to get one in. In one of my searches for a specific revolver, my Cabelas searched their stores nationwide. This particular .357 revolver has been a very popular one of the Ruger models.

I've not shot an S&W .357 magnum revolver, but really liked shooting the Performance Center S&W 637 snubby, .38 Special + P revolver I had. The barrel length on this revolver was 1.875 inches. Nuts, let it get away, too. Another quality revolver.

Bottom line for manufacturers, it depends on what you want and what you like.
Best in your search. Let us know what you find.
PT7

Ruger makes excellent guns - I have owned several, the last of which was a 4" GP 100 I bought on a 'whim' (and great price) as I wanted to get back into a few wheel guns and couldn't find a M-19 Smith I wanted - to replace the one I stupidly sold many years ago.
The GP is a great gun but is a bit 'clunky' , and just didn't have the 'feel' I like, and not too long afterwards the Mod 66 & Mod 60 came my way and I bought them both.
I realized immediately the 'K' frame Smith was where I needed to be with regard to 'feel', and being my first SS Smiths only added to it.
There is a reason MANY wheelgun enthusiasts consider the 'K' frame Smith .357s to be the the 'best' with regard to carry, balance , accuracy - you name it - go handle a 4" K Smith and you'll know why.
Understand however I am comparing early 70's era Smiths to a modern Ruger and the early Smiths have the edge in fit and finish.
Early Smiths are vastly superior to Rugers bar none.
However.....
I would probably own a modern Ruger over a NEW Smith. As far as the 'modern' Mod 66 is concerned I can hardly stomach the two piece barrel and the 'matte' stainless is dull and unappealing .
I am sure the New Smith is a good gun (I handled one recently) but its appearance with the two piece barrel, finish and the lock make it look like a cheap toy.
NOW - the 'argument' of the EARLY 'K' frame Smith .357s is the infamous 'cracked' forcing cone issue. It is no doubt reality but is largely in part from a time when the 'K' frame Smiths were the preferred carry gun for LEOs and they were being shot with the controversial 'SuperVel' ammo of the time.
Even today with modern factory ammo being 'neutered' it is NOT recommended to shoot 'K' frame Smiths with a steady diet of high end factory, or 'full house' reloads and in reality there is no need to. If one wants to shoot Hi Vel ammo consistently then a gun able to handle it such as a GP 100, or an 'N' frame Smith (or a modern 'L' frame Smith should be chosen)
The 'upside' is the 'L' frame Smiths (such as the 586 or 686 were introduced before the lock was and can be found relatively easily, for good prices and are great guns)

Anytime we make generalizations, we set ourselves up for a fall with a long, long line of exceptions. I'll just say that I am a fan of Smiths and have sold off all my Rugers, but what works for me isn't necessarily what will work for anyone else.

I would strongly suggest, though, based on my personal experience with new production Ruger revolvers to give the gun a thorough inspection before you hand over the credit card. Same applies to any new production revolver, actually. The day and age of making sure every gun is top notch before sending it out the factory door has long passed. I never order in a gun without having the right of refusal after I inspect it. Can save you a lot of grief.

I shot tens of thousands of rounds thru Smith revolvers in practice and competition and carried a Smith on duty for several years. I can say I would bet my life on them... literally. I have owned Rugers, and still have a couple. But for revolvers, I place Smith first... based on my experience. But like the Ford / Chevy debate, everyone has a preference. Lol. (Ford) But for the last ten plus years, I have driven Nissan trucks.

The first Ruger I owned was an early 4" security six and while it was well made its action still couldn't compare to my previous m-19 or my now
M-66.
I will say though the GP 100 I had until a couple years ago had a very nice action and great trigger - I probably got lucky with it.

Word on the street is that Smith has the edge in fit and finish, and the Rugers are built like tanks. My observations confirm this.

I own a Smith model 10, one of the newer models. Clovispup has a newer Ruger SP101 3" .357. If I were to buy a new revolver today, I would probably look at the Ruger first. Especially in the smaller frame category, like the 101 and Smith's model 60 and the like.

Bottom line is that both produce fine revolvers, and it will likely boil down to personal preferences.

I have never had Clovispup's Ruger apart, but I have researched the procedure, and I think I like the design for disassembly better than pulling the side plate as is required on the Smith, which I have done. You may or may not be one to go that far into a revolver for cleaning/maintenance, but if you are, you might want to look at the procedures for both prior to purchase. Normally, a revolver need not be completely disassembled for cleaning/maintenance for many many years. Keep it long enough, and shoot it enough and either you, or your gunsmith will have to peek under the hood.

North Country Gal wrote:... to give the gun a thorough inspection ...

Curious about your inspection technique? Mine is mostly cosmetic and checking the smoothness of the moving parts, including squinting really hard at cylinders, receivers and barrels looking really hard for fine line cracks that might cause firing of the firearm to fail. I sometimes wonder about micro-fractures but obviously don't have the aerospace x-ray equipment to look for those.

BrokenolMarine wrote:like the Ford / Chevy debate, everyone has a preference. Lol. (Ford) But for the last ten plus years, I have driven Nissan trucks.

Whole family for 3 generations where Ford only. In 1995 bought the first model year Windstar. That first generation was a complete lemon. Blown head gaskets, failing transmissions and weak suspension. Car was too heavy for the engine/transmission and suspension. Ford had a big quality/reliability slogan at the time that they didn't follow through on. Initially Ford wouldn't cover any of the repairs. Then months later got a rebate check for the blown gasket repairs. A few months later the gaskets blew again. Ford again refused to cover it. Took the car to an independent, and found Ford hadn't fluxed the heads during the first repair. There was a head crack partially human visible starting from a spark plug port. Anyway had new racing heads and gaskets installed and had the transmission similarly retrofitted. No problems until years later retired it. Along the way bought Toyota exclusively.

I have the Model 64 that I was issued in the academy and carried until we transitioned to the Glock .40. I shot that gun in practice, for quals and practice for matches, and in service revolver matches. When we made the switch, I bought my model 64 and still shoot it. I won a lot of service matches with that fix sighted four inch gun, shooting against much more expensive guns with adjustable target sights.

As for Fords... the little Festiva I owned when Tina and I first married went 240k miles, got 45mpg and would still be going if a huge buck hadn't jumped in front of it. We fixed it after the insurance company totaled it, but Tina told me to sell it and buy something with ac and cruise.

Our '80 f150 4x4 had 450k on it when we finally let it go. 300 six banger, four speed with granny low. The buyer is still driving it. The Titan is still going, still looks new.

I own both. New Rugers and older Rugers. I own Smiths. Older Smiths. If Im going after a Smith its an older Smith. I will say one thing just try and get the customer service out of Smith like you can out of Ruger. For me it hasnt happened. Not saying I wouldnt buy a new Smith but I have a Ruger Match Champion that I will put up against any Smith I have ever owned. Its a great gun and it shoots very well.

Prior to the Windstar had a 1973 Mustang. About the same time as the Windstar also a Ford Escort. The Mustang and the Escort were trouble free. What turned me off with Ford was not standing behind their problem vehicles. Their Ford Quality/Reliability campaign being nothing more than hype.

I have never owned or even shot a Ruger wheel gun. I bought my S&W L frame 686 6 inch back around 1982. I love the revolver. It is very accurate and the action is smooth as silk. Guess that's why I never had a desire for any other brand. BTW, my ridiculously large S&W K frame 500 mags' action is just as smooth even though it hurts too much to shoot any more. Bought it as a novelty you might say when I had a lot more money. Nothing against Ruger at all as I've heard great things about them. I would ,however love to have, or at least be able to try a Colt Python in the same size as my 686. I know, good luck affording one of those. I could go into the Ford/Chevy debate but this Ford owner will stay quiet on that! Lol. BTW...good looking Yota Mags, I have a 4-Runner to keep my Lightning company.

markiver54 wrote:I would ,however love to have...a Colt Python....

Ditto. A 357 with a four inch barrel is a dream revolver.

BTW, my ridiculously large S&W K frame 500 mags

I think you meant to type an 'X' instead of a 'K' when describing the frame size on your .500!

My bad Mistered, nice catch. Guess I'm just tired.

I have both 5 or 6 of each,I'd have go open the safe to say for sure.Love them all Rugers & S&W's.